Keats’ Exploration of Gender Roles in Romantic Poetry: Evaluating How His Poetic Themes Conform to or Challenge Traditional Gender Roles of the Romantic Period

• Author(s): Pritish Biswas
• Paper ID: 1701857
• Page: 193-197
• Published Date: 31-01-2020
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 3 Issue 7 January-2020

Abstract

John Keats’ poetry intricately explores gender roles, often intertwining beauty, power, and vulnerability, both conforming to and critiquing Romantic-era norms. The Romantic period idealized women as ethereal and passive, while portraying men as dominant and active. Keats mirrors this by often casting women in static, aesthetic roles, as seen in “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” where female figures are frozen in eternal beauty, their agency erased. However, he subtly critiques this idealization by highlighting how it dehumanizes and objectifies. Keats’ nuanced portrayal of gender reflects societal tensions, blending admiration with critique. By challenging binaries of dominance and vulnerability, his work redefines the interplay between power and creativity. This complexity makes Keats’ poetry a profound commentary on the evolving notions of identity, gender, and artistic expression.

Keywords

Gender roles, Romantic, Femininity, Masculinity, Vulnerability, Objectification, Femme fatale, Keats’, Critique

Citations

IRE Journals:
Pritish Biswas "Keats’ Exploration of Gender Roles in Romantic Poetry: Evaluating How His Poetic Themes Conform to or Challenge Traditional Gender Roles of the Romantic Period" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 3 Issue 7 2020 Page 193-197

IEEE:
Pritish Biswas "Keats’ Exploration of Gender Roles in Romantic Poetry: Evaluating How His Poetic Themes Conform to or Challenge Traditional Gender Roles of the Romantic Period" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 3(7)